Below Par

A term describing a bond whose price is below the face value or principal value, usually $1,000. As bond prices are quoted as a percentage of face value, a price below par would typically be anything less than 100.





|||A bond trading below par is the same as a bond trading at a discount. When a bond trades below par, its current yield is higher than its fixed coupon rate. 

Bonds may trade below par when interest rates have risen since it was issued, its credit rating has declined, there are concerns about a default, or there is an excess supply. A bond's discount may narrow as it approaches maturity or its first call date, when investors will receive par value.